Paradise XIII -Partners-
by Dakk Tribal
Summary: Partners Caius and Lightning are stranded on a strange tropical island after a detour through the Historia and now must find a way to return to their time. However, events on the island make them question their relationship...and make them wonder if it can be explored further / Caius/Lightning, lemon later
1. Chapter 1

Mogna the moogle made her way into the last room at the resort. The place had become full recently and considering the fact that it wasn't even the season where business boomed made her grateful that she made the switch to Mog's Resort and stopped working as a clerk at Mognet. Sure she was a waitress slash bus boy kind of employee, but at least she met people and got into interesting situations.

But after taking her breakfast cart to the last room on the second floor of the resort and entered, she felt like she walked into a tense calm.

Mogna had always appreciated the simple luxuries of the resort's rooms. All white walls and ceiling carved with intricate designs that were otherwise bare. The rooms which the guests stayed in was pretty much one room only with a small bathroom adjacent to it. There wasn't a kitchen or anything like that since room service provided breakfast in the morning and the guests all ate in the café for dinner at night.

From what Mogna had been told there was a young couple staying in this room and from there she thought she would see them right away when she entered the room. She saw one of them right away. A tall lean muscular man standing near the balcony doors with his arms crossed over his broad chest. He seemed to be in thought when the moogle entered his presence.

Being a bit nervous around this enigmatic man, Mogna set about her duty. "Excuse me sir? I'm Mogna of Mog's Resort."

She pushed the cart up to the small circular table in the center of the room. The man turned his attention to the furry little creature, his voice sounding smooth and enigmatic. "Mogna of Mog's Resort? So that's where we are?"

"Sorry for the inconvenience, kupo. You and your friend seemed a bit out of it when you arrived here in the middle of the night, kupo," Mogna said as she began to get the cart undone, which held a few plates of food that would be considered a delicacy for breakfast.

"Call me Caius, and we did. On behalf of my partner I do apologize for that," he said, taking a seat at the table.

"Where is your partner, by the way, kupo?"

The man pointed towards the large white feather bed not far from where the table was. Laying just under the covers was a young woman in her early twenties with long pink hair and laying fast asleep. She had been asleep ever since she hit the mattress. While she had slept since they had arrived Caius had been rather restless and had decided to watch over her until she would wake up.

"Lightning won't be too happy that we stayed here, or that I have asked for a week stay either," Caius said, a little smirk formed on his lips. Though he kept his devious thoughts to himself, he couldn't wait for her to wake up so he could tell her.

He'd also be able to let her know that their access to the Historia had been severed and that they would not be able to return home anytime soon. She was going to blow a gasket.

* * *

Author's Notes: this one is rather short because I am on a deadline, and I promise to make the next chapter and the ones that follow longer (this is a story I am looking forward to working on). Enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

To say Lightning wasn't at all happy when she woke up was an understatement, but she had this scary habit of keeping her anger in check only to unleash it later when the person least expected it. Caius received the full effect of that white hot temper the moment he told her that he had requested a full stay at the resort. That meant a full week, seven days in a tropical island that neither of the guardians knew.

She had first got into his face, then pounded her hand on his chest. It was hard but barely made him flinch. Next she shouted at him about duty to the goddess and after ten minutes of that a small and nervous voice managed to sneak in to remind them of something very important.

"B-Breakfast is…here, kupo."

The moogle who had brought the cart to the room had been in the same spot when the fiery Lightning woke from her slumber, and though he had plenty of opportunities to leave and not witness her wrath, once she had started shouting he found himself frozen to the spot.

Lightning sighed realizing how scared the little creature was. A tinge of regret came over her, but her anger only went down a miniscule. "Sorry about that."

Caius had not been moved by his partner's anger, he was used to it. However he did understand why she was angry in the first place and it wasn't just because of the island retreat.

"Lightning, even we need to conserve ourselves at times. I know you take pride in our duty as Etro's protectors, but we should relax when we can as well."

Lightning went and sat down at the small table where the moogle was beginning to serve breakfast with shaky paws. He was wary around the woman and rightfully so, though he had no real reason to fear her as she wouldn't hurt him regardless of how angry she was. She peered over to Caius, "We'll talk about that later. For now, shut up and eat."

Caius couldn't help but smirk.

After eating a quick breakfast (realizing that she had not much of an appetite at the moment) Lightning had left the room and went outside onto the beach. Not even the beauty of the island could one hundred percent distract Lightning from her predicament.

She was beyond upset at what Caius had done, but at the same time she knew he had a point, as much as she didn't want to admit it. Being a guardian for a goddess did take its toll on her, but she had always powered through it and made it through to the next day.

Long as it kept her family safe she would continue to do it.

There was a café just outside the resort and without even stopping to examine her surroundings Lightning went past it. The moment she stepped out onto the sand was whne one of the secrets of the island took form. Her outfit went from her Etro guardian armor and into something more appropriate for the tropical climate.

Her outfit changed into a form fitting black string bikini, and she also wore a black shear jacket that went unnoticed by her. She didn't even notice the change in her attire as she approached the front counter.

The moogle behind the counter saw her and greeted her according, "Hello there miss, kupo! How may I help you?"

Lightning put both her hands on the counter, "You sell drinks here? Nothing fancy but I need to feel a sting."

The moogle spun in the air, "Well, we don't serve alcohol here if that's what you mean, but there are some juices to guarantee you'll feel like you got kicked by a chocobo, kupo."

Thinking that was better than nothing, Lightning gave in, "Alright, whatever guarantees me a kick."

It was less than a minute later that the moogle returned with a glass full of ice and a yellow liquid in it and a sour smell coming from it when she sniffed it. It sent a shock to her brain, but that was precisely what she wanted. Then she took a drink, some of the ice fell out of the glass and down her chest.

It was here that Lightning noticed her new outfit.

"The hell is this?!" She set the glass on the counter and after checking to make sure it wasn't an illusion, in an action uncharacteristic of her she stomped her foot into the sand. Her body being this exposed was new to her, for she never did go on vacation back home in Bodhum even when she was with her sister and her husband. Because of that her skin was a pale white and the black bikini made it stand out more. "This is getting more infuriating by the minute…"

"I think you look good, miss, kupo." The moogle had tried to make her feel better but all he got in return was a cold stare from the pink haired warrior. He shut up after that.

"I really need to blow off some steam now," said Lightning turning her attention from the outfit dilemma, and as she looked around she noticed something that got her attention. It was coming from deeper in the island, but as she didn't care about anything else at the moment other than to let out some of her frustrations, she began to walk deeper into the island.

Caius hadn't been too surprised when his guardian armor was replaced by a black tank top and black swim shorts though he had no intention to go into the water at the moment.

Asking where Lightning was turned out to be easier than he had even anticipated. Of course she was hard to miss and even harder to forget due to her hair color sticking out like a sore thumb. The moogle who ran the café said something about her heading further inland, and the guardian thanked him before moving on.

Past the jungle and into the deepest part of the island Caius came across the waterfall and lagoon which was a treasure of the island according to the moogles. Down a slope in a gorge the waterfall was a few stories tall and in the lagoon were rocks that formed a path to the center where a large flat boulder stuck out of the water. The pool itself was deeper than it looked and Caius found this out when he heard a splash on the far side of the lagoon, and he went around seeing his partner making her way out of the pool. She was soaked form head to toe and her new bikini appeared to be even tighter on her. Lightning noticed him right away but didn't seem to be bothered as she got her towel. In fact she seemed very calm, in stark contrast to earlier in the day.

"So this is where you were," he said crossing his arms over his massive chest.

Lightning dried her face, loose strands of her hair clung to her wet skin, and she was slightly shaking though Caius couldn't quite figure out why. "Surprised you found me so fast." She tossed the towel onto a nearby rock and looked up at the waterfall.

Seeing Lightning wear such a feminine outfit was a welcome change to Caius, it made him see his partner in another light. "The moogles here are very attentive." He looked up at the waterfall, and he figured out what had transpired. "You leapt from the top of the waterfall, didn't you."

His partner smirked, "Seemed like a good way to make me feel better. Regardless of the danger it brought."

"So I take it you're feeling better now?"

She turned her gaze to her partner, "A bit, but don't think you're off the hook just yet."

"Then why don't you go take another dive, and I'll just wait until you do forget."

Lightning chuckled and took another deep breath before making her way up the waterfall.

* * *

A/: this chapter was fun to write, I especially like the banter between the two leads, though i do try to remain in character as best I can since this is partially in line with the game canon (except for the obvious differences). Still got a ways to go before this story is over, so stay tuned!


	3. Chapter 3: Sisterly Feeling

Caius and Lightning remained in the lagoon for the rest of the afternoon. Despite the urge to see what else the island had in store for them the two guardians each had their own reasons for staying put at the lagoon.

For Lightning it was the fact that she was in such a beautiful place and relaxing. Her feelings about being Etro's champion were washed away with each dive she took into the water, albeit for mere moments.

For Caius it was to keep an eye on his partner, though he knew for a fact that she didn't want his supervision nor cared about it. Though he didn't take one step into the cold fresh water of the lagoon his eyes remained fixated on Lightning.

The sun went past the mountain the waterfall came from, signaling the end of the afternoon and the beginning of evening. The stars started to appear in the sky as it began to glow its orange glow.

Remaining in the sand, his skin and shorts damp with the mist of the waterfall, Caius stood up and saw Lightning walking towards him. She was rubbing her arms with her hands. She was cold.

"Think it's time we head out. It'll be dark soon," she said with a shiver.

"Agreed." Caius reached down and grabbed a thick white towel and handed it to his partner. "Use this."

She took it from him immediately and began to dry her body. She wasn't shy of doing so in front of him. Not after earlier. She was more mature than that. "Thanks."

"Wouldn't want you to catch a cold out here, Light," he added, "Especially on our first day here."

"This is only a temporary stay, Caius. Don't think we'll spend more than a day or two here before we return to Etro."

Shooting down any sort of entertainment we could get as usual. Bravo Lightning, Caius though with a smile. He didn't expect anything less of her.

She lowered the towel to her waist and from looking at her shoulders Caius saw goosebumps go across her smooth skin. That added with the way she was shivering told him he had underestimated how cold she actually was.

"We better return to our room before you actually do get sick," he said with obvious concern.

She scoffed at it, "You don't have to worry about me. I'm capable of handling this."

She had brushed him off with ease but Caius remained steadfast, "I know that, but as your partner I am going to look after your well-being. Whether you like it or not."

Lightning rebuked him with a loud huff and walked off.

"Curfew is in effect, Mister Mog, and all the guests are in the hotel, kupo."

The staff of the resort was finishing up their rounds, putting papers away and cleaning up the desks while making sure everything was ready for the following morning. There was even a moogle checking the weather forecast for the next seven days, making sure the weather was in optimal conditions for a tropical vacation.

Mister Mog was floating around with his entourage of smaller moogles getting updates from them. For one moogle to run a resort was indeed a daunting challenge Mog didn't show any signs of stress at the job. He had been running it for a very long time, and had yet to run into something that would drive him nuts. Save for Kupo Nuts, that is.

He checked off a request form another moogle had offered him and moved onto another pressing matter. "By the way, I heard that the rocks behind the waterfall are cracking, kupo."

The smaller moogle named Mooge nodded, "Yes sir, kupo! Seems the gradual disintegration of the water on the rocks is making it crack."

"Why hadn't I been notified of this before? This could pose a threat to our guests, kupo!"

"We only discovered it today, kupo! A few guests notified us of rocks falling in the lagoon and we inspected it later in the afternoon. We plan to block off a section of the lagoon as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of everyone, kupo. After that we will begin working to make it stable again."

Mog sighed, "Well, least we found it before it crashed. Things could be a lot worse, kupo."

The two moogles then heard squeaking that gave them the impression that something was off. The moogle behind the large computer screen was going bonkers. So much so that his pom-pom looked like it would fly off any moment, "Mister Mog! We have a problem, kupo!"

Quickly the moogles all gathered around the desk but moved out of Mog's way when he approached, "What is it, kupo?" Going through his mind was all sorts of calamitous problems that could be the problem: ships discovering the island, an eidolon emerging from within the island, or even a swarm of vegetarian bugs that could eat the island's vegetation all went through his mind. However, none of those turned out to be the problem.

The smaller moogle brought a picture of a nasty looking storm heading towards the island, "It's terrible, kupo! Tropical storm fast approaching!"

The other moogles gave signs of panic but Mog remained steadfast.

"I see...and it doesn't look like it is going to miss us either, kupo..." There had been threats of tropical storms and hurricanes in the past but by multiple strokes of luck the resort had always been spared. This time the storm seemed to be heading right for it with no sign of diverting its path. What bothered Mog however was how fast the storm had formed; it was like it had come from out of nowhere.

"How long until it gets here, kupo?"

The moogle typed away at the keyboard and kept its eyes on the computer screen, "This time tomorrow night it will be at our doorstep, kupo. We should have visuals on it by sunrise though. We'll get the full force of it when it arrives, kupo!"

Another moogle approached the desk, "What should we do sir? We might have to lock down the island and keep everyone inside-"

Mog wasn't paying attention to anyone around him. Not out of panic or nervousness, the gears in his head were turning and protocols for such an event were beginning to be made in his mind.

He knew what needed to be done. "Nobody panic. I know what to do, kupo. It will take all night but we can do it, kupo."

"That was a good meal."

Caius set the fork down on the table he sat at. He had just finished the dinner the moogles had sent to the room. He was impressed with how the moogles had treated him and Lightning so far. 'I have to say, the room service in this establishment is nothing short of excellent.'

Speaking of his partner, Caius turned to the open balcony doors and saw Lightning leaning against the doorway. The moogles had not only brought the two a meal but also a change of clothes as well as night clothes. Lightning was wearing hers right now. It was a white low cut nightgown that exposed her shoulders and was tied with pink ribbon in the center of her chest. The length of the garment reached just above her knees with elegant designs on the hemline.

She hadn't spoken a word since she had changed and ate her dinner, and Caius had a pretty good idea as to why.

"Still bothered by the dress, Light?"

"Shut up, Caius." She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed.

Caius couldn't help but smirk. He had poked the proverbial mean dog with a sharp stick and got an expected result. He further teased her, "I think it gives you a bit of much needed elegance."

She didn't hesitate to retort without facing him, "Want me to elegantly hurt you? I'm fully able to do that."

Caius chuckled, finding her response amusing, "No, otherwise we might get kicked out and I am rather tired." He got on his feet and stretched his muscular arms above his head. He had changed into his night clothes as well, which consisted of a simple blank tank top and black sweat pants. It did little hold back his muscular frame.

He walked up to Lightning, no longer looking to tease her and instead tried to figure out what she was looking at. When he peered outside the balcony doors all he could see was the full moon shining off the ocean and the white sand of the beach below.

"What are you thinking, Light?"

She sighed, "Normally I would say Etro, but..." She lowered her arms to her sides, her guard falling with it. "I was just thinking about my sister and her husband. Taking up this guardian duty is a way to keep them and my other friends safe but I can't help but wish to be with them at times." She turned her head and spoke directly to her partner, "Yet here I am on a tropical paradise, taking a break from saving the world in my goddess' name and enjoying myself on top of it. I want to chide my own ass for being so..."

"Free."

"What?"

Caius crossed his arms over his chest, "Though we are champions for the goddess, there is nothing wrong with having time to ourselves for once, Lightning. We are free to make our own decisions. Besides I don't think your sister would want you to work yourself to the bone even for her sake."

Though she wanted to argue Lightning knew that he had a point. Serah had always thought of her sister's wellbeing above even her own, and there was no doubt that she would want her to have some relaxation time in between serving the goddess.

Even though she had not admitted to it Caius knew he was right. He knew his partner better than anyone other than Serah herself. She would think on it for a while longer and then give in to the better judgement. That was how she always figured out her problems with little input from anyone else.

Knowing he didn't have to press the issue further he walked towards the bed, "With that in mind we should fully enjoy ourselves to our personal satisfaction before going back to Etro. Agreed?"

Sighing loudly, a signal of defeat on her part, Lightning turned to Caius. "Very well." She walked around the bed and to the other side opposite her partner.

Both of them began making their side of the bed, neither speaking a word on the obvious obstacle of the fact that they would have to share the bed. They were more mature than to squabble over it.

Still, Caius had one thing to say, "I promise to give you space."

And Lightning responded accordingly, "And keep your hands to yourself, otherwise I will hurt you."


	4. Awkward, Interrupted

A/N: I intend to continue ALL the Paradise stories for awhile, since I have had a new lease on life in terms of writing. So expect frequent updates for the foreseeable future for all of them. On a side not, I enjoy writing about these two in this alternate take on their relationship.

* * *

Lightning's eyes shot open at the sound of glass clattering. Forgetting about her surroundings she sat up and would have reached for her weapon if she had it just to be ready to fight. It was a reflex. Her sudden movements scared the hell out of the moogle who had been moving his cart into the room.

"Oh dear, kupo! I'm so sorry for waking you miss!"

Not realizing how hard her heart was beating Lightning could only sigh in relief before she laid back down. 'Dammit…I forgot about the moogles…'

The moving of dishes loudly prevented the pink haired warrior from falling back to slumber. Yet that wasn't the thing that bothered Lightning the most.

'Why is it so damn hot in here?'

Sweat rolled in beads down her face and she also noticed how the night gown she wore also stuck to her skin. The fabric was thin enough to where one could see her skin underneath. Lightning wasn't bothered by that. She was a grown woman and mature enough to not be bothered by something like that. The fact she had to wear the garment in the first place offended her more.

Deciding to get up rather than stay in the comfortable bed Lightning rolled off and walked across the room. The moogle continued its work while she opened the doors that led to the balcony. She had hoped for a cool breeze but was instead met with a warmer one and that it when it dawned on her.

'There's a storm coming…' she saw the grey clouds in the distance, along with brief flashes of lightning and even a little rumble of thunder could be heard over the waves. Sighing Lightning turned back into the room and went to the table.

The moogle was finishing his work when she approached. "There's a storm on the way to the island, kupo. We will more than likely have to send you back here later in the day, so please use what time you have to be outside until it gets here, kupo."

Lightning picked up a silver fork from the table, "I'll eat first, if that's the case."

The moogle nodded and went back to setting up a plate of food for the woman when she took a seat.

"I made the liberty of washing your clothes overnight, kupo. A new bathing suit is also made available for you and your friend."

No doubt the moogle meant the two brown paper bags that were also on the table, one addressed to Lightning and the other had Caius' name on it. Curious Lightning took a look inside her bag and she had to raise an eyebrow at what she saw. Pulling out the suit the moogle had given her Lightning's expression quickly turned sour.

The swimsuit was a white strapless bandeau top with rose petal patterns and the bottoms were pure white. The lack of coverage was appalling to her.

"I am not going to wear this!"

"Wear what Lightning?"

The female warrior quickly stuffed the suit back in the bag as she saw Caius approach. She had totally forgotten about him.

"N-Nothing! The moogles just brought our breakfast—and a storm is approaching," she pointed to the balcony and hoped that Caius would go check it out so she could get rid of her bag.

She saw his expression was one of suspicion but he decided to humor her. He went over to the balcony and looked outside. "Ah, a storm indeed."

While he had been looking at the storm Lightning put her bag on the floor under the table. It was a slight reprieve until she had to wear it later, having thought she had no other choice in the matter. Better than nothing, she thought.

"It's going to be a hot one today, so the moogle said we should go to the lagoon to stay cool," she said, her calm and stoic nature returning in full force.

To her surprise Caius said, "You would rather not stay inside?"

'Of course I would, but…' she found herself hesitating. She didn't want to be on this island but considering the circumstances and the argument that even she needed a vacation Lightning found herself arguing with herself over it. "How often will we have the opportunity to have fun?"

A smirk formed in the corner of Caius' mouth. She finally accepted what he had been trying to convince her of the other day.

"Good idea. After breakfast we'll head to the lagoon," said the male warrior.

Lightning had wanted to wait for Caius to leave before she changed, but he had insisted on staying with her so she didn't miss the way to the lagoon.

'Damn him...' Lightning thought as she finished changing into her new suit. His insistence was a major pain in the butt at times and it was one of the traits that she was annoyed with the most.

Trying to take her mind off the man outside the bathroom door she discovered she had a new problem. When she looked in the mirror she was horrified. The suit hid little of her skin and even the bottoms were tighter than she would have wanted. But she knew it was too late to argue or ask for a different one as the moogle had left to work elsewhere in the resort. "I'll just have to coerce him into something I could have for tomorrow...something I would choose myself..."

The curves of her breasts were held in by the top and as she tried to breathe in the garment the redness that had started in her cheeks went down to her chest. She wasn't a buxom woman, nor did she wish she was, but Lightning didn't like how the garment pushed her chest up to make her them look bigger. The first thought that entered her mind was how much of an impediment they would be in combat, a rather unusual perk for a woman to think about, but that was Lightning's logical way of thinking. "Any bigger and I wouldn't fit in my armor, and then Caius would have something new to tease me about-"

She stopped after she had mentioned her partner. Why would she be worried of what he thought? Because he was a man and all men were driven by hormones? Not that they always ruled a man's brain but most men did, or so Lightning thought. Yet, from if what she always believed were to be true, then Caius should have been hitting on her the moment they had met.

But if her memories had served true, Lightning couldn't remember if he had ever commented on her looks...

She shook her head, 'The hell do I have to worry about that? He's my partner for goddess' sake!'

A triple tap on the other side of the door got her attention, followed by Caius' voice.

"Lightning, are you ready?"

Feeling her face grow hot the pink haired woman gathered her things and put her shear white jacket on. It did nothing to cover her body but it was the only option she had if she wanted to go outside today. She also forced the thoughts she had from before to the back of her mind, for the sake of her sanity she didn't want to even think about that stuff. "Yeah, I am!"

She came outside and Caius had changed into his own swimming outfit, which consisted of black shorts and a dark violet tank top. Draped over his shoulder were a couple towels. "Ready?"

Lightning was glad that, from what she had seen, he didn't let his eyes wander. If he had then her day would have been ruined before it had even got started. "Yeah, let's go."

The moment the two stepped outside was like stepping onto the surface of the sun itself. The sand was hot under their bare feet and the rays of the sun came down on them without mercy. The heat was also too much to handle. Lightning made a tactical retreat to the safety of the tree line in the jungle. Fanciful thought because that was where they had to go to find the path that would lead them to the lagoon.

By the time they got through the jungle Lightning felt sticky all over, and the jacket she wore stuck to her exposed skin and while she knew it was practically impossible she felt her top shrink and it made it harder to breathe. This made her hate her outfit even more. 'Damn those moogles...' she thought as she rested against the side of a tree.

Caius saw her breathing heavily and offered her a towel. She took it and dried the sweat from her face and shoulders.

"We just have to go along this path until we find a slope that will take us to the lagoon," he explained, having received directions from the moogle earlier while Lightning had been in the restroom.

Lightning handed the towel back to him and then promptly closed the front of her jacket to cover her chest. "Sounds good to me. Let's get moving."

Straight and to the point, as always.

The trek through the jungle didn't last long and the two found the slope and eventually made it to the lagoon. It was unlike anything Lightning had ever seen before. A waterfall many stories high served the background to a large pool with large smooth and flat rocks that were in the pool. The water itself wasn't very deep from the looks of it. However the one thing that got her attention was how cool the area was. The heat from the beach had almost vanished completely, replaced with the cool air and a mist generated by the waterfall.

Unable to keep herself collected Lightning took off running towards the pool, not stopping until she was up to her thighs in the ice cold water. The cold didn't bother her at all. Having discarded her jacket on the edge of the pool the woman submerged herself fully under the surface of the water and after a moment or two re-emerged. She felt like a new woman, the heat and discomforted form washed away and replaced by a Lightning that felt rejuvenated and ready to go. She threw her hair back, the water that drenched her flew farther back and she rested her hands on her lower back. Sighing loudly Lightning smiled like she was without a care in the world before raising her hands to rest behind her head. "That is so much better..."

That's when she noticed Caius staring at her, arms crossed over his chest and he had a smirk on his face that prevented Lightning from guessing what he could possibly be thinking.

Bringing her arms down to cover her chest Lightning turned away from him, "What?"

She expected him to say something sarcastic or even about her body, but to her surprise he said, "I'm just glad you've opened up a bit. Let yourself go."

'He's continuing what we talked about that night...' Lightning realized. Letting out a deep sigh the warrior continued to play coy to his words. "Letting loose is fine, I just wish it was under better circumstances."

Caius went and stood on the little bit of sand and rock that went into the water. Lightning remained standing in the water, though her guard was noticeably up and at full strength. Her partner still hadn't said anything about her swimsuit to her astonishment.

"I know, but I believe there is a saying: 'Do not look a gift horse in the mouth'. Wouldn't that apply here?"

'Not when you're dressed like this,' thought Lightning, adding that she felt like a stripper in such clothing. She finally lowered her arms to her sides. "Maybe I'll look past that sometime during our stay."

Caius nodded, "Time will tell."

Lightning took a deep breath and started to walk to the shore, her intention being to dry herself off and to get warm. The cold water had made her shiver considerably and she didn't want to catch a cold. "Hand me my towel please."

Acknowledging her request Caius bent down to pick it up for her as she made her way to the pool's edge.

It was then that the woman's foot got caught on a rock hidden under the water's surface and she tripped. Caught completely off guard she stumbled forward and would have landed front first on the rock and sand had Caius not reacted with the true reflexes of a soldier and caught her. The result was Lightning's chest colliding with Caius', the force behind her fall stopped completely by the stone wall that was Caius. He hadn't budged an inch in the impact. Then there was the fact that the two warriors locked eyes following the collision and that Caius' arms were on Lightning's lower back while Lightning's were at his shoulders. Had she been in a better state of mind Lightning would have thought the scene was like the cover of a romance novel. However, considering that the woman that would have been on the cover was herself, she had other feelings on the subject. Like the fact that she was petrified.

Caius on the other hand seemed to take it in stride, "That was almost a disaster."

Trying to maintain her composure, Lightning forced the words out of her mouth, "Right..." Though she fought valiantly against her own embarrassment she could not hide the fact that her cheeks were turning red. She turned away to hide them. "Will you let me go?"

Caius lowered his arms and Lightning instantly backed away and crossed her arms over her chest, remembering her state of dress increased her fluster tenfold.

"Am I interrupting something?"

The voice didn't come from either of the two warriors, and both turned to see a tall woman at the base of the slope looking at them. She wore a black and silver bikini that held back her voluptuous and impressive figure. She had a pair of pink eyes that added to her exotic appearance.

The stranger stood with her hands on her hips, and Lightning was grateful to have her attention diverted to something other than her partner for once. "Interrupt? No, but who the hell are you?"

"Call me Lorna." The woman went into the water and appeared to size up Lighting as she stood in front of her. In terms of height and physical fitness Lorna had Lightning beat on both counts. Still Lightning had seen stronger and better foes and had defeated them without blinking. She could handle this.

"Well, Lorna, my partner and I were just...talking and you just happened to see the end of it."

"Looks like he was ready to give you a smooch to me," Lorna added with a snicker. She then turned to look at Caius, and her expression changed as she looked him up and down like a lioness stalking her prey. She obviously liked what she saw.

Caius's expression turned sour, and Lightning knew that look. She knew it from the countless missions the two had gone on together to know it by heart. He didn't like this woman and he had only just met her. He crossed his arms over his chest.

And it was that look that stirred the fierce storm in Lightning's chest. More than Lorna's words, it was her action towards her partner that made Lightning get between the two defensively. "Unless there is something we can help you with, we'll be going."

Without a word Caius suddenly moved, grabbing Lightning by the arm and dragging her up the slope to get some distance between the two hellcats.

Though she hadn't cared to look Lightning felt Lorna's eyes burning holes in her back as she went up the hill. Something told her she hadn't seen the last of her on this trip.


End file.
